[WikiEN-l] Civility poll results

[Ray Saintonge]

Emily Monroe wrote:
>> Any such block for more than 24 hours is likely punitive.
>>     
> True. Maybe we can do something along the lines of "Four 12-24 hour  
> civility blocks, and you'll be blocked indefinitely." or live  
> indefinite blocks up to the community. I'd prefer the latter.
>   

Four over what period of time?  It makes sense when the person keeps 
getting back to incivility as soon as a short block ends. Contrast this 
with those others who only go off the rails once every six months when 
they take a baited hook, and are well-behaved the rest of the time.  
Regrettably, we have had some people who like to dig up ancient history 
whenever they feel offended by someone else.

There are difficulties attached with community actions.  Ultimately, 
it's only one person who pushes the block button.  There is the 
inevitable question about how we define community; the vast majority of 
editors do not want to be involved in this kind of activity.  
Unfortunately, there is a tendency for the most punitive minded to 
gravitate toward this sort of police work.  One could have a small group 
of trusted and fair-minded individuals to administer longer blocks, 
individuals with a proven ability to communicate with and calm the 
hot-heads.  The problem then becomes one of how to select those 
individuals.  Elections don't work because they are rooted in a win-lose 
model that favours those who have a fixed agenda about how to solve 
problems.  It is hard to find a solution when we have no metric for 
trust, and so much of what happens here is rooted on a presumption of 
mistrust.

And all this is said without entering into the vexing question of how to 
define incivility.

>> Saying "we'll give you another chance, and not many more," is a  
>> power move where you are using your superior privileges, shrouded in  
>> a royal "we", to intimidate the other person into complying with  
>> what you believe to be the rules.
>>     
> Okay. What if the person has an attitude that is interfering with  
> writing articles? What if several people do? "We" agree that there's a  
> point that incivility shouldn't be tolerated.
There is a big gap between 24 hours and indefinite.  Left to my own 
devices I would be inclined to progressive blocks, each slightly longer 
than the one before, but these could also be scaled back for good 
behaviour.  If two people are slinging mud at each other they should 
receive equal treatment. When even more people are involved, each still 
needs to be treated as an individual.

There's a difference between '"We" agree' and 'We agree'.  The problem 
with the royal "we" is often that the person using it is basing it on 
certain implied assumptions.  Better to say "I" and accept 
responsibility for the consequences of one's errors.

Ec